Soul's Strength
by Songwind
Summary: Hiya, YGO folks! This is a somewhat dark AU ficcy in which the YGO gang grows up in a medieval world. Will Yugi have the strength to defeat a monster and become a warrior in his dad's footsteps?
1. Default Chapter

Soul's Strength  
By: Songwind  
SUMMARY- To become known as a warrior, one must defeat a monster and gain its card from it. The number of cards one owns is proof of their strength. Can Yugi, the frail son of one of the greatest warriors, summon the strength to follow in his father's footsteps? Or will he need help...?  
NOTES- Eh... hullo. (Waves sheepishly) This is a first for me. Well, two firsts. This is my first Yu-Gi-Oh fic- hiyas! But it's also my first AU fiction, and it'll be kinda dark along the way. I hope you all like it. No, I'm not gonna ask you to be easy on me as it's two of my firsts, but I will ask you to give me some advice should you find a fault or two. ^_^ And the usual, "You're a good writer!" stuff doesn't hurt, either, of course.   
Just to let you all know so you're not too confused, this is set in a medieval world of sorts. Magic and healing and gods and all that other good stuff to come with it.   
DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Some rich guy in Japan does, the lucky devil...   
All Yu-Gi-Oh characters- (send thanks to Kami for this)  
Me- Huh? ...Hey!   
YGO characters except Yami Bakura and Kaiba- Eep! (Run off)  
Kaiba- (leaves at a more dignified pace)  
Yami Bakura- (sits there with an insolent smirk on his face)   
Me- (sigh) Yamis.  
  
~*~  
  
Chapter One- Then, Maybe...  
  
Yugi glanced up from his work. He only looked up for a moment- any more and his gaze would be noticed. And after last night, he didn't want to be noticed.  
  
"I'm so the best!" a young man in the distance was boasting. "I mean, come on, who else can defeat a Dragon, eh? Who is the man?"  
  
A few kids and teenagers were gathered around the young man, congratulating him for his victory. Yugi gritted his teeth and continued to work in the field, trying to ignore the feeling of the sun burning into his back or sweat trickling down from his face. He swallowed, suppressing a cough, and glanced up again.  
  
The boasting young man was tall and thin. He could run and dodge well, from what games Yugi had seen him play. Of course, now that the young man had defeated his third monster, he wasn't required to work in the fields or do chores around his home- at least, not that often. He could spend his day showing off to the others.   
  
Yugi dropped his tool on the ground. He bent to pick it up, and started coughing as his face neared the ground. He tried to suppress the sound. However, it was far too late- he'd been noticed.  
  
The young man glanced up, and a sympathetic grin grew on his face. "Hey, Yugi," he called, waving.  
  
Sighing, the boy brushed some of his hair out of his eyes and waved back, covering his mouth with his other hand. "Hello, Joey," he replied.  
  
"Still sick?"  
  
Yugi shrugged. /Always sick,/ he thought somewhat bitterly.  
  
"And you still have to work?"  
  
"Well of course," said a blonde girl nearby. She tossed her long tresses over her shoulder and smiled condescendingly at Yugi, making him grit his teeth hard enough to make it hurt. "If one can't even deal with a village dog, much less a monster, one must earn their keep another way. Right, Yugi?"  
  
The boy glanced away, blushing. /They all heard about that, obviously,/ he thought.  
  
"Of course, I'm right," she said. "Don't be so upset about it, though. You haven't the build or the mindset for fighting monsters, so it's for the best anyhow."  
  
"Who knows, you may become the next healer," a second girl Yugi didn't recognize piped up, shooting an annoyed glare at the blonde. "And that's much more important than any old monster warrior. You're great at memorizing rules and instructions and stuff."  
  
Yugi smiled faintly. "Thanks."  
  
The blonde shrugged and walked away. The second girl flashed Yugi a smile before scampering after her.  
  
Joey leaned in to whisper to him. "Y'know, those girls aren't that great at fighting monsters, either. Between you an' me, the blonde only caught some harpy and that was like a year ago. The other girl's caught two weak lil' cute things that were harmless anyway."  
  
"Thanks, but they're right," Yugi said. "I'm still too weak to take on a monster-"  
  
"Ah, don't say that. If you can stand up to yer dad the way you do, then you can deal with a monster no problem."  
  
Yugi glanced at the tool in his hands. "That's true," he murmured. /He is the only noble who makes his son work in the fields... Then again, he started out the way I'm starting. Perhaps he thinks I'll end up the same as him someday?/  
  
Remembering the disappointed look on his father's face the night before, the boy's lips tightened. /No. After that I think he'd have a heart attack if I so much as left the village. He's just going to make me learn something useful, like being a blacksmith./ His lip quivered.  
  
Joey noticed and sighed. "Ah, Yugi, c'mon, it ain't so bad. Not everyone's bound to be a warrior, ya know? That girl was right. I mean, you're better at reciting that teacher's lessons than any of us. You should become a healer. Then you'd kinda be owning every card of every warrior that needs your aid after a fight. After all, they'd owe lots to ya. Healers are getting a lil' too rare these days."  
  
The boy nodded, slightly frowning now. "That's true. I heard my father say that there haven't been any trainee mages or healers in the past five years."  
  
"Yeah. And hey, you don't even have to have the magic, right? Just be able to sew injuries an' all that." Joey scratched his head. "Well look, I gotta get going. I ain't shown my card to the richest of the snobs yet. Ooh, wait'll he see what I got!" His face lit up in anticipation.  
  
"What was his name again?" Yugi questioned.  
  
"Erm... something with a 'K'," Joey said. "Uh... hmm, what WAS his name? He never comes out of his house unless it's to something formal or to hunt..."  
  
"Well, why don't you get going-" Yugi was cut off by a fit of coughs.  
  
"Yugi! You alright? You should go inside," Joey began. Yugi held up a hand to silence him as he finished the coughs.  
  
The younger boy took a deep breath, then shook his head. "Just go," he said, a little sharply. "I'm fine."  
  
Joey gave him another uncertain look, then nodded and turned away to race after his friends.  
  
Yugi watched him go with narrow eyes. /Why don't you be a healer. Right. After dreaming of being on the hunt with my father and making him so proud, after years of trying to keep up with the others, I should back down and stay at home twiddling my thumbs? I couldn't do that! It would go against what I've been taught.../ He suppressed another cough. /Damn weakness. Just because of that damn rabid dog and my cough, everyone thinks I'm too weak to do it.../  
  
He let his head droop. /But maybe they're right. I'm the smallest boy in the village that's my age. I'd only be able to use a sword properly if I managed not to have a fit when I was fighting./ He took another deep breath. Then he bent to continue his work, wincing at the pain on his back.   
  
/But if I can manage to stay out HERE all day under the blazing sun, then who are they to say I'm useless!/ he thought, his eyes narrowing again. /If I can deal with this, AND my father, I can sure as anything take on some monster! It won't even have to be a strong one! I can just defeat one monster and maybe everyone will think I can do it./  
  
He dropped his tool and clenched his fists, staring after the others who'd already become warriors. "Then maybe," he said aloud. "Maybe I'll have more respect. My father will be proud of me. But when...?" He wiped his brow. "I'd have to sneak off... I hate sneaking off, but it's the only chance I-"  
  
"What are you doing out here still, young lord?" asked a young voice.  
  
Startled, Yugi blinked and turned to see a young girl watching him. "Er, working," he said, gesturing at the fields around him.  
  
"Tonight's that growing dance for Tea," she said cheerfully, bouncing on her feet. "She's fifteen now."  
  
"Oh, gods, I forgot about that," Yugi said. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.  
  
"Well, we should hurry back to your place. Your dad was worried and sent me here."  
  
Yugi nodded. "Right. Let's get back then."  
  
The girl turned and started to run, then stopped and walked. "I forgot you can't run," she said sheepishly when he looked at her.  
  
/Can't RUN? I get surprised by some rabid dog in the market and I'm unable to run? Father goes too far!/ "I wouldn't say that," he said, and started to sprint. The surprised girl gave a yelp and ran after him protesting about his health.  
  
Panting, Yugi ran through the fields towards the richer part of his village, where his father, Joey's rival, and other nobles lived. /After I get some rest tonight, maybe I can sneak out. There aren't too many tough monsters around here, anyway. I just gotta get a sword and some headgear and I'll be all set./ He found himself smiling as he pushed himself harder towards his house. /Then, maybe.../  
  
~*~  
  
Eh... darkish beginning, huh? Well, Yugi's starting to come up with a plan. Is he really gonna sneak off in the dark? If he does, what'll happen? What'll he do when he runs across a real monster for the first time in his life? Please review, everyone! 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two- Plans Can Change...  
  
~*~  
  
Yugi jerked his head to one side. "Will you leave my hair alone?" he asked, irritated.  
  
The girl who was combing it gave a small squeak of protest and moved so she was behind him again. "But you need to make a good impression, young milord."  
  
"I won't make a very good impression at all if you don't stop yanking every hair on my head off with that comb!" Yugi snapped.  
  
The girl stopped and he could tell she was shocked by his outburst. He sighed and ran a hand over his wild hair. "Look, sorry. Just... don't bother, okay?" he said.  
  
"O-of course, milord," she said quietly. He could hear her put the comb down on a nearby table. "I'll... leave you for now so you can have some privacy before your father comes in." With that, she turned and hurried out of the room.  
  
Again, the young man sighed and shook his head. /Even though this is only a small village, the elders insist on giving us servants. Because my father saves the day./ He frowned. /Now that wasn't a fair thing to think... How can I help it? I-/  
  
He doubled over in a sudden fit of coughs. He clutched at the nearby table, desperately trying to suppress the coughs and the horrible elephant-like sounds they made. Finally, he managed to regain control of himself, and wiped his mouth.   
  
A speck of blood.  
  
Yugi stared at it in dismay. /And here I'm planning on running away to prove I'm a hero like my father. Who am I to think I can do that? I can barely deal with some stupid illness, a sickness that I'll be stuck with for life!/ He hung his head. /Who am I kidding? I'll never get past the village. I'd never make it alive.../  
  
Then his head raised up, and he stared into the mirror. The face of a pale boy with wild hair met his gaze, staring hopelessly into the mirror.  
  
"Stop it," Yugi muttered at the mirror. The face in the mirror was now angry. "Stop it, damn it," he said, a little louder. "I'm not some sick little kid! That's only what the others think! I'm going to show them!" He glared defiantly at the mirror. "I'll show them tonight. As soon as the feast is over, it's good-bye Yugi until I beat a monster. Even a weak one! I have to show them I can be a Warrior just like my father!"  
  
With that thought in mind, the young man sat down in a nearby chair and continued to stare into the mirror. However, now he was just eyeing it thoughtfully, chewing on his lower lip. A lock of his hair fell into his eyes. Absently, he brushed it away.  
  
/Now how am I going to do that...?/ he thought. /I'll have to get some sort of protection. Obviously, I'll need a sword. I should be fine. They're not that much heavier than the wooden practice swords, and I was all right with them. A shield...?/  
  
He nearly wet himself trying to hold back a laugh at that.  
  
/A shield! Right! I can hold a sword fine when I've got both hands to do so, but a shield! I wouldn't have a chance! No, I'll need another way. Armor? No, I'd only be able to handle one of those helmets... Looks like I'll have to just be really fast. Otherwise I'll become a monster's meal./  
  
He nodded at the mirror. /The healer's foods are said to give people extra powers if they eat them while they are well. If I can steal something and take a bite, perhaps I'll get faster for a while thanks to her powers. It'll be hell to pay when I get back, but getting back will be the first step./ His lips pursed. /Correction. Getting back with a CARD will be the first step./  
  
A knock sounded at the door.  
  
"Yes?" Yugi called.  
  
The door opened and his father strode into the room.   
  
Yugi stood and turned to bow at his father. "Lord father," he said.  
  
The man before him nodded. "You look presentable," was his reply.  
  
"Yes."  
  
There was a long silence, where Yugi observed his father for the millionth time. Unlike him, his father's hair was solid gold falling to his shoulders, his eyes an almost startling violet. Muscles rippled under the smooth skin with the slightest movement, though somehow he managed to stay thin. His voice was booming, whereas Yugi's was weak and rasping.  
  
Yugi could tell he was being observed as well, and hated the feeling. He knew what his father was thinking; why on earth had the Gods given him a son who had trouble running, much less become a Warrior? Why had the Gods turned away from his pleas and forced his son into a permanent illness?  
  
Finally, the scrutiny ended and Yugi's father turned away. "Let's get going."  
  
"Yes," Yugi repeated. He suppressed the need to cough again and followed his father out of the door.  
  
~*~  
  
The ceremony was boring.  
  
Yugi suppressed another yawn as the girl, Tea, was led from one woman to another in a slow dance. Two drums and a flute set the beat. Normally, the women's moves were fascinating for him to watch.   
  
But not now...  
  
"Damn, theirs is so easy!" Joey muttered. He was sitting to the right of Yugi, running his hands through his hair. Unlike Yugi, however, he was sitting on a mat on the ground, not on a chair. "They get t' just dance around, and we guys get freakin' beat up!"  
  
"The men's ceremony is not required, you know," said a smooth voice from behind.  
  
Yugi and Joey turned to see Joey's rival approach. "And what are ya implying?" Joey asked, frowning.  
  
"I imply nothing at all, 'friend'," the rival replied. He gave a small nod to Yugi. "And how is our resident failure today? Found a new sickness to spread yet?"  
  
Yugi glared, and his muscles tensed. "What did you say?" he demanded.  
  
"Yugi!"   
  
The young man started, then realized his father was giving him a disapproving look. "You are showing an unpleasant amount of... shall we say, carelessness, this evening. Pay attention to the ceremony."  
  
"...Yes, father."  
  
"Obeying your father so quickly. How... trustworthy you are. How obedient," the rival mused, edging closer to Yugi's seat.  
  
"Tread softly, or not at all, Seto son of Kaiba," Yugi's father growled. "If you must speak tonight, speak of the ceremony."  
  
"Of course, but of course," Kaiba replied. With that, he set himself down next to Joey, continuing to murmur insults.  
  
Yugi glared at the other young man. /I shouldn't let him get to me. He's just got more cards than anyone else in the village, and he's the fastest, and he's just the son of a lord who doesn't make him work in the fields.../   
  
His hands clenched until his knuckles turned white. /I can't take this./ His eyes found the girl, Tea, as she was swung to the next woman, who was a year older than the last one. The drum's beat was steadily quickening. /Not anymore. I can't take the insults, the pettiness. I can't!/ She was twirled to the next woman, nearly spinning past her to the woman beyond. The flute hit a high note that made him start. /I CAN'T!/  
  
He jumped to his feet.  
  
"Yugi!" his father began.  
  
"I-I... I must go! Forgive me!" Yugi gasped, fighting back a cough. With that, he spun around and fled for his house before he did anything stupid; like interrupting the ceremony, or strangling Kaiba.  
  
He only had the chance, however, to round a corner or two before having to submit to a coughing fit. It was long and hard, and he feared someone may hear him. Thankfully, however, no one did. And no one, as far as he could tell, was coming after him.  
  
Finally, the coughing stopped. Yugi found it alarming to find more blood on his hands, which he'd clamped over his mouth to quiet himself. Swallowing, he headed home to clean up and get a drink.  
  
~*~  
  
"I can't take this anymore. I have to do this," he whispered.   
  
Yugi had set up a small pack of essentials for himself. He had a clean shirt in it, a cloth for bathing, many of the herbs the healers used to ease his cough, some dried fruit and a loaf of freshly baked bread.  
  
He put the pack on, and found to his relief that it wasn't as heavy as he thought it might be for him. Then he looked around to see if he was missing anything.  
  
/Right. A sword, and maybe herbs in case I get messed up... no, when I get messed up.../ He frowned. /I hate being so pessimistic about everything, but all the bad things seem to happen before the good things do. At least to me./  
  
He glanced into the mirror, wondering what sight he would behold now. For a moment, he imagined himself standing straight, perhaps looking a little taller than before. Maybe he'd still be lean, but with that limber look that some of the faster boys had. Maybe his face would be set with determination, or perhaps he would have a smirk that even he had not been aware of for the past few minutes...  
  
All that met his eyes was the image of a pale boy with wide, uncertain eyes.  
  
He frowned and looked away. "No! I can't give in to uncertainty now, or I'll never go. I'll be a- a- a house-pet, for one of Kaiba's types! And I will NOT let that happen!"  
  
With that, he turned and left his room.  
  
/Now to find an-/ "OW!"  
  
He found himself face-first on the ground a moment later, and sat up to wipe the dirt off of his face.  
  
"Owww, what was that? What happened...?"  
  
Yugi looked around for a moment before something caught his eye. Turning to it, he saw something shining, even in the dim evening light. Something gold, something that seemed to have an odd light to it...  
  
"But what is this? I've never seen it around before..." Yugi gently touched the odd item. "It looks like some weird necklace thing. My father owns nothing like this, though."   
  
He slowly looked from one side of the room to the other. Then he looked down at the item again.  
  
"Well, it may be good for selling later on, if nothing else." He picked it up, admiring the smooth surface on the gold necklace. Then he ran his fingers over the chain. He frowned a bit. "What a thin chain... it looks like it could break at any moment."  
  
He carefully dropped the chain around his neck, the large item on the end of it thumping into his chest. Then he inspected the chain again. /It holds!/  
  
"Some things are stronger than they seem," he murmured. He couldn't help but add a touch of smugness to his tone, even though he was quite alone; everyone else was out at the ceremony.   
  
Though, by now it would be nearing its end.  
  
"I should go, and quickly. But first, the sword!"  
  
Yugi hurried into his father's room to look about, for once ignoring how much more elaborately it was set up, for once regarding the many cards on display with a cynical little smile on his face instead of a frown.  
  
He found his father's old short sword in his wardrobe, and thankfully discovered its sheath and belt so he could latch it around his waist. Then, after a little rummaging around, he found some simple healing herbs for fixing up a small wound or so.  
  
Finally, he scrawled a quick note for his father and left it on the bed, where it could easily be found.  
  
The young man looked out the door, hearing voices coming from down the street. He knew it was time to go; it was now or never. If he waited one more moment, someone would see him, someone would try to stop him. Then he'd never go.  
  
Setting a determined expression upon his face, the young man murmured, "Goodbye, father," and hurried away from the cheerful voices he heard.  
  
He just prayed to the gods that he wouldn't get into a coughing fit. Gods, not now...  
  
~*~ Two hours later ~*~  
  
This wasn't good.  
  
"Two hours of stumbling around in darkness and this is what I get for my efforts?!" he gasped, struggling to pull out the short sword while fighting back the hacking cough he so despised.  
  
A huge wolf growled at him, crouching low on the ground as he tried to back away from it.   
  
"Please, oh gods please!" The short sword came free from its sheath. "Yes!" He held it with two hands, glaring now at the wolf. "Come on, fight me now!"  
  
The wolf gave a little bark, then lunged at him.  
  
"Ack! Not good!" he yelped, barely dodging out of the way. He tried to turn quickly to deliver a blow, but it only nicked the creature's front paw. However, it was enough for him to back away from harm for a moment so he could catch his breath.  
  
Yugi swallowed, then suddenly felt very, very lightheaded. "Oh Gods! Please, no!" he gasped, then fell back against a tree as the past two hours of endless stumbling through the woods and fighting a wolf caught up with him. He sank to his knees, coughing and trying to remember how to breathe as the wolf came ever closer to its prey.  
  
/Oh no! What am I going to do now? I'm such an idiot!/ Yugi stared up at the creature with wide, frightened eyes. /Now what? I gotta try something!/ He covered his mouth with one hand, using the other to lift his short sword and wave it threateningly.  
  
The wolf gave another bark, which sounded almost like a laugh to Yugi's ears. It knew its prey wasn't able to fight back; this one was young, weak, and above all, sick.  
  
The bark lowered back into a growl as the wolf prepared for its final attack.  
  
Yugi closed his eyes. /Gods, Spirits, somebody, anybody! HELP ME!/  
  
He heard a scuffling noise, then a thudding noise and a howl of pain. Then... silence.  
  
He kept his eyes closed, wondering what had happened. /Was... that it? Am I dead? What happened? That was much more painless than I thought it would be.../  
  
Then Yugi heard a deep-voiced chuckle. "You called for me, little one?"  
  
"What?!"  
  
Yugi opened one eye, then the other. A lean figure stood before him, holding a card in his hand. The wolf was nowhere in sight.   
  
The young man stared up at his rescuer for a moment.  
  
The other man smiled reassuringly at him. "Fear not, little one. I mean no harm for you. But..." He held out the card. "I believe this is yours."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Yugi reached out to touch the card, and looked up at the man again.  
  
"Go ahead, take it. It's yours."  
  
"But you-"  
  
"But I am here because you called for me. You summoned me to create a card for you, and lo! Here it is. Your first, is it not?" The man nodded. "Many firsts have occurred upon this night, then. But it matters not; take the card."  
  
Slowly, Yugi obeyed. He looked at the card in his hands. "Wow! The Silver Wolf, attack 600." He looked back up. "Thank you! But... I don't know who you are."  
  
"Me?" The man shook some of his hair out of his eyes, still smiling at him. "I am your summoned, and you are my summoner."  
  
"That doesn't answer my question, sir. Who are you, what were you doing out here?"  
  
"My name is Yami. I am here because, from now on, I am your champion."  
  
~*~  
  
Note- The card "Silver Wolf" is completely made up. I may or may not make up cards in the future. This is an AU fic, so I'm entitled to it. ^^ But don't worry, I'll add in cards you'll recognize soon enough. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three- Champion  
  
Notes- (blinks) Dude, you mean Silver Wolf really DOES exist? Well, uh, in that case, I don't own it! But for the case of this story it's still gonna stay at attack of 600, merely cause I wish to be consistent. ^_~ Please enjoy!  
  
Oh, warning! Yugi will get a bit OOC later in the chapter. He'll be better later, I promise!  
  
~*~  
  
Yugi took a long, hard look at the man who kneeled next to him. He couldn't have been more than a few years older than Yugi was; perhaps eighteen, or nineteen perhaps?   
  
And the man, for some reason, deeply resembled him. The young man shivered at that idea. Yes, that hair looked a lot like his; with many different colors that made the hair look almost unnatural on one's head. And those eyes... Yes, they were filled with experience, and a sense of wisdom and humor that Yugi knew he probably would never have, but they were the same shade of violet as his own.  
  
The young man realized he'd been staring and blushed slightly. "S-sorry. Maybe I heard you wrong." He smiled. "I thought you said you were my champion."  
  
"I did."  
  
Yugi blinked.  
  
"Here, let's move further into the woods and find somewhere to camp for you. Then we can ease your throat."  
  
The younger man blinked again, noticing that his throat was parched and scratched from his earlier coughing fits. "Um... okay. But-"  
  
"I can explain if you wish, but only if we get moving. You would not survive another attack, little one."  
  
Yugi swallowed and nodded, pulling himself up by way of a nearby tree. Yami nodded at him, and the two continued through the dark woods.  
  
For a while, all Yugi could make out was Yami, who led him through the brush and trees of the forest. He nearly ran into a tree once, and stumbled over bushes countless times, but every time Yami would catch him and wordlessly right him before moving on.  
  
/Who is this?/ Yugi wondered. /And what did he mean 'my champion'? What am I, a princess? Really!/ He bristled at that thought. /Maybe I'm smaller than other boys but I'm still obviously not female!/  
  
"Indeed you are not," replied Yami.  
  
"Wh-what?!" /Did I say that out loud?!/  
  
Yugi could almost picture Yami smiling at him. "You said I thought you were female. Obviously not. A female would have great difficulty calling me."  
  
"Uh... why?" /I could have sworn I didn't say that out loud. What's going on? This is so creepy!/  
  
"You ARE full of questions, aren't you? No matter." Yami caught Yugi before he ran right smack into another tree without missing a beat. "While it's not impossible, it's hard for one of one gender to call one of the opposite. The caller in question would need to be balanced almost perfectly in masculine and feminine qualities."  
  
"So you ARE saying I'm female?!" A vein popped up on Yugi's forehead.  
  
Yami sighed. "That's not what I said. Males can call upon me more easily than female, for I am male. A female calling on me would have to have a great amount of will, and a great amount of masculinity- or something resembling that."  
  
"...Okay..."  
  
"Come. We're nearing a clearing."  
  
The two reached said clearing in a few moments, and Yugi could once again see. Thankfully, the trees allowed the stars to twinkle through their branches here, and Yugi could once again see his rescuer.  
  
"Do you have flint?"  
  
"Uh... yes..." Yugi scrambled to take off his pack and look for it. "Blast, even in moonlight I can't see a thing..." /Another quality I lack,/ he thought bitterly.  
  
"Here." Yami walked over and looked through. "Ah! Here." He pulled it out. "Great, that'll make it easier to make a fire." He turned away, then glanced back. "Say, do you suppose wood would help?"  
  
/? Is he being serious?/  
  
Yami sighed. "Not much of a sense of humor. Ah well. I am not the chooser here. Yugi, will you help me gather wood?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
In a short while, a fire was crackling merrily as it worked its way through a small pile of branches that the two had collected. Yugi sat on one side of the fire, staring at it. Yami sat on the other, watching both Yugi and their surroundings.  
  
Finally, Yugi spoke. "You said... you're my champion."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Can you explain that?"  
  
"Yes." Yami gestured to the necklace Yugi wore. "You got that tonight, correct?"  
  
Yugi blinked. "Yeah, how did you know that?" /Is he a stalker?/  
  
Yami chuckled. "Relax. We have not met before." He leaned back on his hands, glancing up at the sky.   
  
"Years ago, a Healer had to care for a very weak man. This man was not a villager, or even a lord. No, he was a king.   
  
"Well, this man's kingdom was always being invaded by rival countries. The kingdom, Domino, suffered many occupations. The king wanted to prevent this, but he could do little but help give out commands to his men. Often, he was too sick to even do that!  
  
"The Healer hated to see her king push himself so hard." Yami's eyes softened for a moment. "So she called upon many fighters to come to her, to guard her king.  
  
"However, the first man hired ended up being a spy. The second was an assassin. The third was a mercenary; when another king offered a higher price for his services, he left. So you see, the king had littler and littler trust in humankind.   
  
"Finally, at wits' end, the Healer called upon the Mages of her time for help. One such Mage, the greatest of his time, created the Champions."  
  
"Champions?" Yugi asked. He poked the fire with a stick to keep it going.  
  
Yami nodded. "Champions. He searched for the greatest qualities of men, then created seven Champions. Afterwards, he gave them each an item to live in."  
  
"Item? What do you mean?"  
  
"I live in your puzzle necklace. Another Champion lives in an eye, while another lives in a rod."  
  
"...Oh. Wait, this is a puzzle? It doesn't look like one."  
  
Yami smiled. "That's a bit off topic, Yugi."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"No, I'll tell you quickly. The puzzle does not show once it's been solved, and it's been solved for years. Decades, even.  
  
"Now, back to the story. The king was given these seven items to protect him. With a stronger counterpart to protect and heal him, he could go into battle with the rest of his troops.  
  
"Morale improved. Battles were won, wars were victorious. Invasions from other countries were subdued. The king was soon known as the greatest man to ever rule."  
  
"Wow," Yugi whispered. "And you're one of those champions?" Yami nodded. "Then why are you helping me? I'm no king or prince. I'm not even a lord yet..."  
  
"Just because we were made originally for a king, doesn't mean we only serve those of pure royalty. I have served the lowest scullery maid, the highest mage on the Council. I have fought for lords of the tiniest provinces, and kings of the biggest lands. So when you picked up my 'home', I became yours."  
  
"Oh. Wow." Yugi looked away, into the darkness. "A Champion," he whispered. "My Champion..."  
  
/It still sounds like he's supposed to be one of the knights of old serving a lady, not me. But... he DID save me, and he DID give me my first card. But.../ Yugi closed his eyes as a small breeze played with his bangs. /But I didn't get it myself./  
  
The young man turned to look back into the fire. Noticing that it was dying again, he poked it, then added a couple small sticks to it. It started up again.  
  
/What a fool I was. To think that I, the weakest boy in the village, could fight and defeat a monster of my own. The others are right; I'm not meant for this./ Yugi lowered his head to inspect his hands. /So white, so smooth... these hands are not meant to hold a sword. They never were./  
  
To his surprise, Yugi saw and felt warm hands cover his. He blinked and looked up to see Yami looking at him. "Yami...?"  
  
Yami was silent for a moment, inspecting Yugi's hands. "I don't know, they don't seem so smooth to me. Merely inexperienced, in need of practice," Yami said, pulling away.  
  
"You... You read my mind!"  
  
"Did I not mention that?" Yami ^_^ed. "I suppose I forgot to mention that sometimes I can read your mind, especially when you project strong emotions. As you are now."  
  
Yugi fell over. Then he sat back up. "Well, stay outta my mind. I got enough to worry about," Yugi said. He turned away.  
  
"Yugi."   
  
The younger man was silent.  
  
"Yugi. You are not a weak person. If you were, you would have been destroyed by that wolf, and I never would have appeared. I would be in the puzzle necklace still, waiting for a new master."  
  
"Then why do I need you?"  
  
"To represent you."  
  
"For what?!"  
  
"I guess I didn't mention that, either. Not only should you have masculine qualities to summon me, but you need a very strong will, and a stronger spirit. That's how I'm formed, you see." Yugi heard him chuckle. "Call me an alter ego, if you will."  
  
"...Oh. So you're me, only better?"  
  
Yami sighed. "You're going to take everything I say badly, aren't you?"  
  
Yugi remained silent.  
  
"I showed up because you wanted to defeat something, you wanted to show yourself and others that you could-"  
  
"But I didn't! I didn't do all that fighting, YOU did. I didn't do a damn thing!" Yugi turned to snap at his "alter-ego". "Not me. Did I defeat that wolf? NO! I didn't! I STILL need help. I need help from some ancient alter-ego spirit thing that's a better version of me!"  
  
"You're blowing this out of proportion-"  
  
"No, I'm not. Why don't you go and, and, and, stick this puzzle where the sun doesn't shine! Go away!" Yugi started to yank off the puzzle.  
  
"Yugi!" Yami's eyes widened. "Don't, you fool! You'll-"  
  
"I can do things myself. I'm glad you rescued me, but..." Yugi pulled the necklace over his head and threw it into the fire. "If I'm gonna show anyone anything, I'm gonna show them myself!"  
  
"Yu-"  
  
Yami disappeared.  
  
Yugi blinked at this. Then he shrugged. "Good. Find someone who will want your help." He turned away.  
  
Suddenly, Yugi felt a tickling sensation in the back of his throat. /Oh, no.../  
  
Oh, yes.  
  
/My, my herbs!/ he thought, and then began to cough.  
  
Using one hand to cover his mouth, he began searching in his pack for his herbs to ease his throat. However, with the puzzle thrown in the fire, the flames were dying, then soon dead. Yugi could barely see a thing, could no longer tell where the herbs he should use were.  
  
/Damn it!/ The coughing got worse. /I... I can't breathe! Someone... No! I have to do this!/  
  
He continued to scramble through his stuff. Then, he suddenly collapsed. Warmth trickled down from his mouth.  
  
/I'm... bleeding. Can't stop it. I gotta try.../ Yugi's eyes teared up from coughing so hard. /If I don't stop.../  
  
However, he couldn't get back up; the coughing had weakened his entire body.  
  
/Damn... I can't do this. I need help./  
  
Yugi's eyes closed as he fought to remember how to breathe properly. He was feeling more and more lightheaded.  
  
/Please... I'm sorry. I need help.../  
  
He weakly lifted one arm to reach out to the puzzle. Ignoring the burning sensations on his hand, his fingertips brushed against the chain, which was still remarkably intact.   
  
/Please... Yami, I'm sorry.../  
  
At first, he was sure that Yami wouldn't show again. Then, he heard some quiet cursing as something was ground into a paste. Then he felt Yami gently pry his mouth open and practically shove the paste down his throat.  
  
A cool sensation attacked his senses. Almost immediately, he stopped coughing and gasped as he began to breathe freely once again. His tears of pain slowly turned into tears of relief as he collapsed against Yami, gasping and trying to stop shuddering.  
  
"Apology accepted, little one," Yami said. "But we need you to sleep. I don't need it, but you certainly do. Especially after this little episode."  
  
Yami patted the younger man on the back, then pulled away to arrange a bed for Yugi. Yugi, meanwhile, watched with a detached sort of expression.  
  
He suddenly realized he was very, very tired; he'd gotten up early that morning, and it had to be late by now. So when Yami offered him the bedding, Yugi immediately tumbled into the collection of leaves and breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Yami..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Yami smiled and kneeled down to pull the puzzle necklace out of Yugi's hands- the younger man had been holding onto it tightly the entire time. Then he placed it back on Yugi's neck.  
  
"It's all right. You can pay me back by sleeping."  
  
"...Also."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"...Thank you. For both times."  
  
Yami smiled. "It was all you. Now sleep. I will keep watch for you." He turned away to start up the fire again.  
  
Yugi felt his eyes getting more and more heavy. The herbs had completely eased his throat; he knew he wouldn't have any coughing fits as he slept.  
  
/A Champion. A Champion that once served a great king,/ Yugi thought, smiling slightly to himself. /I didn't really think of that earlier. He's not like the guys back home, who try to 'help' me with their 'advice'. He really HELPS me. He served kings before, and now he's serving ME!/  
  
By and by, Yugi slowly sank into unconsciousness and was soon sleeping so soundly that an earthquake couldn't wake him.   
  
Yami smiled faintly at his ward's resting, then turned to watch the ever-present night.   
  
/My Champion of Kings.../  
  
~*~ 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four- Continuing Travels  
  
Notes- (Blinks at the reviews she's gotten for the past two chapters) Well, uh... what can I say, other than I wish I'd picked up on this fic sooner? ^^; Please enjoy.  
  
Um... random note. Kaiba's starting to follow me around and call me a worthless *****. And he won't go away. I think he wants to be my muse. O.o Should I be scared?  
  
~*~  
  
"Yugi..."  
  
The young man curled into a tighter ball than before, scrunching his eyes shut. He was warm, and felt safe. Safer than when he woke up. Therefore, he refused to return to the world of consciousness. He would not go back.  
  
"Yugi..."  
  
That darn voice. Why couldn't it go away? At least for a little while... Yugi reached for a pillow to grab and cover his head with. He couldn't find one, but he found something long and thin and decided it was good enough to latch onto.  
  
"Yugi, will you stop that and wake up?!" the voice was now exasperated with him.  
  
Well, fine. Let it be that way. See if he cared. He snuggled closer to the long thin thing, and marveled at how warm it felt. Almost like... human's skin...  
  
He opened his eyes, blinking sleepily. At first, his sight was blurred from his rest, and he couldn't see much. Then he made out a silhouette of a person leaning over him. Apparently, he was latched onto their arm.  
  
Yugi's eyes shot open wide in alarm, and he reached for the first thing he could- his pack- and started hitting the figure with it. "AAAH! Get away from me!"  
  
"What the-?! Ow! Yugi that HURTS, stop that!"  
  
The young man suddenly stopped, blinking as he began to see more clearly. Then he blushed. "Y-Yami?"  
  
The Champion glared at him, nursing his arm. "Indeed. Perhaps next time I shall attempt to wake you with a thirty foot pole instead of my own arm."  
  
"Uh... yes, well, sorry about that."  
  
"It's all right." Yami straightened and gave the younger man a small smile. "How are you feeling?"  
  
Yugi blinked. "I'm actually feeling okay," he said.   
  
"Good. That which you swallowed last night wasn't just a normal treating herb; apparently you grabbed one that can last for over a day."  
  
Yugi nodded. "That's certainly good. I can't afford to feel ill every time something upsetting happens to me."  
  
Yami watched him, his smile fading as he considered the other boy for a moment. Soon he was frowning, his fingers cupping his own chin almost absently.  
  
The younger boy squirmed slightly under the intense gaze. "Um... Yami? What are you doing?"  
  
"Hmm?" Yami blinked. "Oh! I apologize... you need breakfast, don't you? I think I saw some berries around. You'll have to tell me if they're edible, though."  
  
"All right."  
  
Yugi reluctantly put on his pack and left the warm bedding where he'd been resting all night. The two walked a little ways from the camp, and discovered that the berries Yami had found were indeed edible. And not only edible; Yugi nearly made himself sick from eating so many.  
  
Yami, meanwhile, kept a lookout in case any monsters would show up.  
  
Finally, the younger man sat down and smiled broadly. /Wow. I feel so awake today. I wonder where that feeling's coming from!/ He leaned back and looked up at the sky. /Maybe it's because I slept so well last night. Not one cough! Not one sneeze! I don't think I woke up once!/ Then he frowned. /Wait a minute.../  
  
"It's past noon, yes," Yami spoke suddenly.  
  
Yugi jumped. "You read my mind again!" he said.  
  
"Well, yes. You're not that good at building barriers around your mind, are you? Anyone could read you," Yami said.   
  
"Gee, thanks."  
  
"Actually, it is a compliment, Yugi." Yami turned his violet eyes towards his younger companion. "To be able to be so open is a gift. Not so many people are so trusting."  
  
/You mean as readable as a children's book?/ Yugi wondered.  
  
"I meant it in a good way. That is all that matters." Yami looked off to one side, then frowned again. "So do you wish to move on today?"  
  
"Yes. My father is most likely on the lookout for me, and probably has been all night."  
  
"Well let's get a move on. I can hear men moving in the brush a couple miles behind us."  
  
"A few miles?" Yugi tilted his head. "How far did we travel last night?"  
  
"Well, I don't know how far you went on your own, but when I appeared we went for three, perhaps four."  
  
"Oh." It hadn't seemed that far...  
  
"Let's get moving on. Now, do you wish to take a route to another town, or to stay in the wilderness?"  
  
Yugi considered this for a minute. Now that he had a card, which was all he'd been aiming for, he could just head back home. However, how would he explain a champion? And when would he be allowed to leave again, if ever? He had a feeling being stuck in one little town was not something Yami wanted.   
  
And he didn't think it was something he wanted, either, now that he'd had a small taste of safety.   
  
"We have food, but not a lot. I'd like to pop into a nearby town, get some supplies, then stick to the wilderness for a while." He paused to think over this idea for a moment.  
  
Yami nodded. "If there are any monsters that attack us, I shall help you fight them," he assured the younger man.  
  
Yugi blinked. "Help?" he repeated. "I thought you said-"  
  
"I did. But I was thinking about what you said last night." Yami glanced up at the surrounding trees for a moment, as though he was trying to find something in one of the branches. Then he glanced down at Yugi. "Save the fact that you're inexperienced and have an illness of some sort, you're all right with a sword at your age. So I'm going to make a compromise with being your Champion; I'll only do so if you call for me. Understood?"  
  
Yugi stared at the older man, then suddenly felt as though a weight of guilt had been lifted from his shoulders. Even though he would still have a 'champion', he would be the one to call the shots. He would be the one to decide if he couldn't fight something. Which would make his new 'champion' more like a companion.  
  
And that meant a lot.  
  
The younger boy smiled widely at his look-alike. "Thanks for that, Yami. You've no idea how much I appreciate that." He shifted his pack on his shoulder. "Why don't we head to the next town to see what's what there?"  
  
Yami smiled faintly in return. "Yes, why don't we indeed?"  
  
~*~  
  
"Settle yourself, leader of the Motou clan," Seto said coolly. "You will only bring harm to yourself if you keep that up."  
  
Yugi's father had decided, upon realizing that his son was not only not at home but not in town, to go into a rage. Therefore, he had either spent the last few hours beating the local thugs into bloody pulps or ranting about how he let his son run off like that.  
  
Now, the tall, imposing lord turned to glare at Seto. "When YOU have a son who runs off, and YOU are the only one responsible for him, then, and only THEN, can you speak to me of being calmed, Seto son of Kaiba!"  
  
"I merely wish to suggest that perhaps a search party being formed would be more productive than being the cause of our town's population decreasing."  
  
The lord paused to look at the young man. Then he gave a big sigh. "You may be right there. Will you assist me?"  
  
Seto tossed his head. "I would, but I have some very... important matters to attend to at the moment. You understand."  
  
"Very well. I will find some of Yugi's friends and make a search..." With that, Yugi's father turned and left the room.  
  
Seto watched the lord leave the master bedchambers of the Motou house. Then his eyes traveled to the desk, where a few of the lord's cards lay exposed. He snorted. "What a fool."  
  
He strode towards the cards, looking down at them. He snorted again. "Weak. These must be his earlier cards. What use are the weaker cards to a lord, even a low class one as him?"  
  
Then he glanced at a box in the corner of the room, and he allowed a small smirk. "Let's see if it's still here."  
  
He moved over to the box, slowly opening it.   
  
"..."  
  
Then he slowly closed it, turned away, and walked to the doorway. The son of the Kaiba family paused there, then closed his eyes.  
  
"DAMN it. The one day I think it'll be there, the one time I have a CHANCE without that little snot-nosed... where the hell IS IT?!"  
  
~*~ 


End file.
